Returning to school at 26...

I graduated high school in May 2000 and at the time decided I would go straight in to the 9 - 5 working world. For 6 years I was an Insurance Service Rep, dealing daily all the wonderful people that just LOVE insurance (not!). This came to an end when I "retired" to become a stay at home mom to my two boys and my husband (who I think I take care of more than the two kids lol). As in my previous blog, my 5 year old son has started kindergarten and I get to go back to school to pursue a teaching degree. Mind you, I have no previous college credits so lucky for me, I get to go to new student orientation. Ugh, I am going to be the youngest person there, and old grandma compared to the fresh out of high school students. But I tried to make the most of it, thinking that it would be a good experience to get familiar with the layout of the college so I am not walking around like an idiot on my first day. That Saturday morning when I get to orientation, I was given a name tag and told to sit at table 13. Each person sitting at that table, I could tell, was freash out of high school. The majority of them hadnt even graduated yet but were dual credit students earning a college credit during their senior year. However, I did find that I was not the youngest person at orientation. There were two men there quite older than me. If they can do this, so can I! Anyway, I went along with the game we had to play to win gift cards and candy. Yes candy. What did they think we were? Preschoolers they could bribe to play along with candy!?! Finally the time came for the campus tour. Oh good - atleast I will know how this place is laid out. Yeah right. We jumped from one side of the campus to the other so much that by the end of the day, I was even more lost that I had been to begin with. And after the 3 hour session orientation was over, I was finally able to leave and return home to my kids and husband. And the whole drive home all I could think is - Man I still have no idea where I will be going on the first day of class. Ugh!

Kindergarten Craze

So my 5 yr old Austin just started kindergarten on Monday. His entire year of preschool I had been preparing him that he would attend the "new school". In doing this, I knew he would be terrified of kindegarten. He gets very overwelmed and anxious easily, traits he unfortunately inherited from me. The evening of Meet the Teacher he was, suprisingly, excited about going to school. He was happy to see alot of his friends from his kindergarten class and was raring to go. I thought "Wow, this is awesome. I guess all those boring summer days being stuck at home with me and his one year old brother paid off." Wrong. The moment came on Monday morning for his teacher to lead him and his other classmates away from us in the cafeteria and to his classroom. And I could see the tears begin to form in his red little eyes. How sad! But what can I do other than reassure him everything would be fine and he would get used to a funfilled day. I waved goodbye one last time and said a silent prayer for him to have a good day. The time finally came for me to pick him up and when he got into the car, he began to tell me how he vried when his teacher took them to PE class because she had left and at lunch because she had left also. Needless to say, he told me "I hate school and NEVER want to go back. Can't you just tell them I am sick so I don't have to go?" Of course I told him no and have ever since been trying to reassure my first born son that school is fun and he has to go to learn. My attempts have yet to suceed. And I continue on with the craze that comes with kindergarten...